Using food technology to transform the food sector
Leading international food company JBS serves clients in more than 190 nations across six continents with premium products. As a leading processor of beef, poultry, and pork with expanding operations in lamb, seafood, plant-based, and value-added markets, innovation is the cornerstone of the business’s ongoing development and long-term success.
Food tech is being used by our teams all over the world to transform the food industry, increasing food production and quality while lowering environmental impact and enhancing safety. Big data, artificial intelligence, and internet of things investments are managed through a global innovation program that links teams globally to promote ongoing development and shared operational and customer insights. Additionally, food technology helps us in our production, distribution, and consumption efforts toward sustainability.
Adding value through innovation
In order to optimize the meat sector, JBS USA has established a cooperation with Völur, a Norwegian company at the forefront of artificial intelligence technology. Utilizing AI for carcass sorting and daily cutting plans to guarantee the best possible use of each animal at the operational level, the project is implemented at one of the most sophisticated beef facilities in North America, located in Utah. By cutting waste and better matching supply and demand for each cut to fulfill client orders, this raises the value of each carcass.
This is the latest in a series of investments we’ve made to employ computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) in our operations to gather more accurate data and generate value. This includes employing computer vision to more accurately count the number of cattle or pigs in our stocks, as well as artificial intelligence to improve the quality and yield performance on our sensitive steak processing lines. Since our team is multidisciplinary, it is important to emphasize that streamlining AI operations also lowers waste and boosts sustainability, safety, efficiency, and safety. Less obviously, it’s also a very effective instrument for employee engagement and rewards.
Our cattle operation in Brooks, Canada has been using artificial intelligence (AI) cameras for the past two years to record the quality of processing tender steaks. This has allowed us to score each bone and qualify each employee based on the quantity and quality of the bones. A daily incentive for each employee was introduced in 2022, and it was validated by three factors: quantity, quality, and audit. The bonus was based on daily delivery. In the end, the initiative enhanced team morale, raised line yields, and standardized processes. Some of the project’s improved margins were given back to the staff as performance bonuses.
Closing the gap in innovation
For a while now, the food sector has been experimenting with using cameras to detect quality issues, employee safety, value optimization, packaging compliance, and overall performance, as well as using sensors to increase equipment dependability and predictive maintenance tools. JBS is leading the way in scaling up these innovations as they transition from data collection to real-world usage applications on the manufacturing floor.
In our meat processing plants, for instance, yield and dressing performance—such as product trimming—are essential KPIs. Artificial intelligence (AI) has enabled improvements that improve carcass value, product quality, and sales while reducing emissions and waste in our production process. Examples of these breakthroughs include greater cutting precision and automated cutting plans that are in line with actual client product needs.
Promising outcomes are already being produced by projects like the Völur carcass optimization project. The project has entered a showing value phase to illustrate how AI can be used to create a more profitable strategy that optimizes the balance between supply and demand after successfully completing a proof-of-concept agreement. This is implemented through daily plans that are both practical and efficient. These plans will eventually incorporate long-term production planning, and if the solution proves effective, it will be implemented at more JBS USA facilities and business divisions.
According on returns thus far, this might help achieve a three percent weight increase in income through optimized production planning and a five percent increase in sales as a result of better meeting demand. As we strive toward reaching our Net Zero goal, lower manufacturing and inventory expenses also contribute to a smaller carbon footprint.
Changing the food sector
In order to increase productivity throughout our company, we are investing in R&D and trying to implement new technology. These efforts range from the development of new products and plant-based and grown proteins to food safety, raw material block-chain tracking, and sustainable packaging.
In order to improve productivity, democratize data, and foster ownership on the manufacturing floor, our worldwide teams are increasingly employing gadgets like smart sensors to track the amount of water and electricity used in our operations.
Brazil’s livestock supply chain traceability is advancing thanks to the use of blockchain technology. Through IoT/GPS, AI, and geofencing solutions, we also have superior logistics optimisation capabilities across all continents. When moving commodities from a warehouse or farm to a plant, these improvements allow for route optimization, fuel efficiency, fewer trips, and lower transportation costs. In addition, geofencing notifies teams when fresh commodities are 20 minutes or less from the plant, assuring waste-free and effective processing.
The Friboi Beef company in Brazil is utilizing satellite-based logistics temperature monitoring to expedite client data exchange and enable real-time monitoring via QR codes. Additionally, the company is reducing waste by replacing disposable thermographs with QR codes. By alone, this project saves thirty tons of carbon dioxide, fifteen tons of garbage, and one million liters of water annually.
A future-ready food business
Food technology is already transforming how we grow, prepare, store, and eat food. Addressing the issues of sustainability, health, efficiency, and traceability that are common in our sector is greatly facilitated by it. Adoption is dependent on optimized human-machine interaction and demonstrated value gains. It has countless potential uses in the future. For instance, we are presently developing a data lake that will allow us to combine all sensor data from all of our initiatives, possibly leading to the creation of new AI models with ESG applications that will guarantee the food industry’s readiness for the future.